The present invention relates generally to a method of manufacturing garments, and particularly to a method of manufacturing nonwoven garments by the electrostatic deposition of fibers and dyes on a mold.
Traditionally, garments have been fabricated by sewing together sections of fabric material. Under the current state of the art, natural or synthetic textile fibers are first woven into lengths of material in bulk quantities. The particular color and pattern characterizing a particular fabric can be formed either by utilizing dyed fibers during the weaving process, or by printing techniques subsequent to the weaving process. Numerous steps are thus required to produce a fabric suitable for garment fabrication. To reduce costs, many of these steps have been automated, which has necessitated large production runs by the textile mills, and large inventories by the garment manufacturers. After the material is acquired by the garment manufacturers the various pieces of fabric comprising a garment of a specific size are then individually sized and cut to shape. Owing to the irregular shape of most of the garment pieces, significant waste occurs at this stage. The precut pieces of fabric are then sewn together during numerous time consuming and costly manual operations which further tend to increase the cost of garment fabrication. It will thus be appreciated that the cost of manufacturing a garment represents all of the various costs between manufacture of the fabric to construction of pieces of fabric into a desired garment.
The present invention comprises a method of manufacturing garments which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties long since associated with the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a mold is provided in the shape of the desired garment. A plurality of layers of fibers are electrostatically deposited over the mold to define the garment. At least some of the fibers comprising preselected layers thereof are electrostatically oriented in accordance with the elasticity requirements of particular areas of the garment. If desired, one or more colorants can then be applied electrostatically to the garment. After final curing to set the color pattern and fibers, the garment is removed from the mold for finishing. By this method, garments can be fabricated on demand from minimum inventory eliminating many of the time consuming and costly procedures heretofore required in weaving a fabric and then working that fabric into a garment.
In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, a male mold is provided in the shape and size of the desired garment. The mold includes a matrix of conductors by which predetermined electrostatic fields can be imparted to the mold. Preferably, the mold also includes louvered portions corresponding to the areas of the garment requiring finishing. A plurality of layers of charged fibers are then deposited electrostatically on the mold. By varying the electrostatic field, at least some of the fibers comprising preselected layers thereof can be oriented in accordance with the elasticity requirements of particular areas of the garment. The garment is then at least partially precured prior to coloring. By varying the electrostatic field again, one or more colored dyes can be electrostatically applied sequentially thereto in predetermined patterns to produce a garment of the desired style. The garment is then cured to set the color pattern and fibers, after which the garment is removed from the mold for finishing.